Cruel Destiny
by bunnydakillr
Summary: Shirley seems destined to love the world's only unlovable man. How will that affect her future, as well as Lelouch's? AU. Shirley x Lulu oneshot. Rated M for "Romance."
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I was surprised by the lack of Shirley x Lulu pairings around here. Of the two that I found, one was about Shirley being emo, and the other was about how bad the sex must have been. That combined with a disturbing amount of Suza x Lulu inspired me to write this. Enjoy.**

* * *

Lelouch vaulted down the immobilized escalator stairs in the now dark and desolate open-air mall. One hand skimmed over the railing, the other clasped a cell phone to his ear.

"That's right Jeremiah is with us now. Don't shoot him. Right. I'll meet you outside the mall, then we'll proceed back to Ashford." Lelouch hung up and stowed the phone in one swift motion. He leaped over a final set of stairs and then paused to get an idea of exactly where he was. Taking in his surroundings, he noted that he was in a hallway lined with small shops on either side. In the center, a few pots filled with various plants divided the hall into three small aisle ways. He concluded he must have been near the center of the mall. Ahead of him, he spotted a large floor to ceiling window and decided to move towards it, hoping an outside view would give him a better idea of his bearings.

As he approached the window, he spotted a silhouette in the darkness off to his right. The figure moved nervously and cautiously, and by the way its hands were held out, he could tell the figure in question was armed with a pistol.

_Damn. Another agent? Perhaps I should –_

Before he could complete the thought, the figure spoke. In a voice he recognized.

"Hello? Is someone there?" said Shirley, sounding just as nervous as she looked.

_Shirley? What the hell is she still doing here? No matter, I need to get her out._

"Shirley! You're still here? It's me. Come on, let's go back to Ashford, it's too dangerous here," he said, trying his best to sound like the normal schoolboy he played himself to be. He grabbed her arm – perhaps a bit too forcefully – and began to lead her away. Though he still wasn't entirely sure of where he was, his uncertainty was trumped by the will to get her home safely. However, she stopped him in his determined quest to find an exit.

"Wait Lulu. I…" she began as she searched for the proper words, "I want to help you."

He looked at her quizzically, not comprehending. "I want to help you fight. Against this world of lies you and I have both been trapped in. A false teacher, a brother that never existed. You were all alone in a world that was lying to you. But that can end now, I'm here for you. I want to help you and the rest of the Black Knights. Even though you're Zero. Even though you killed my father." At that she broke down and pressed her face into his chest, whimpering slightly. Lelouch was stunned for a moment, but then it hit him.

_Her memories…it must have been Jeremiah's Geass canceller. Damnit. At least that means I'll be able to fix this…_

Still clutching Shirley with one arm in an embrace that he was thoroughly enjoying, he reached up towards his left eye to remove a protective contact lens. He would have to hide her memories anew, though it pained him to do it.

"Shirley, I'm sorry I have to do this, but I can't let you get caught up in the fighting. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if you died as a result. It pains me to have to do this again, but it's necessary, for your sake. Just know that I do this out of love for you…" his middle finger was now mere millimeters from the lens in his eye. Once he removed it, Shirley would be at the mercy of his Geass power.

"Wait Lulu, don't do it! It won't matter if you do!" Perplexed, he paused, though he didn't move his hand from near his eye. He did, however, look into both of hers with his one unobstructed eye. He could tell she was emotionally burdened, and on the verge of tears. Her eyes watered and shook.

"No matter how much you tamper with my mind, I'll still end up falling for you. I found out you were Zero and that you killed my father, and I still loved you. That evil man tried to distort my opinions with lies, but I still fell for you. You erased my memories and that still couldn't keep me from you. And even when they were tampered with again, I still found myself indescribably attracted towards you, like some invisible force was guiding me. So even if you erase my memories again right here, just know that it's pointless, and that I'll end up falling into your arms again. Perhaps…perhaps I'm just destined to fall in love with an unlovable man!"

That did her in. She collapsed forward and wept into his chest. He held her tighter, preventing her from falling on her weakening legs. He was utterly awestruck by her words. Long had he known of her feelings for him, as he was certainly attracted to her as well. But the sheer scope of her love for him only began to dawn on him now. For the first time in his life, the charismatic, idealistic teenager otherwise known as the passionate, talkative terrorist "Zero," was absolutely speechless. The only thing he could bring himself to do was to keep holding her, savoring their warm embrace as he allowed her to rid herself of years of pent up, suppressed emotion. Eventually, he regained his voice. "Shirley…"

…

That was all Rolo needed to hear. He had been suspicious of Shirley ever since she began going out with his brother. Now, from his hiding place behind a flower pot, he spied the gun she was holding and made his own conclusions.

_She's going to kill him! I won't let that happen, I promised my older brother I would keep him alive so he could fulfill his promise to me._

He leapt from his hiding place and sprinted towards the two, whose lips were now separated by an impossibly small distance. As he ran, the symbol of geass shone brightly in his left eye. Hearing footsteps, Lelouch spotted Rolo out of the corner of his eye. In a horror-filled moment of realization, he understood what Rolo was about to do. Moving as quickly as he could, he stepped in front of Shirley.

"Rolo! Stop!" Unfortunately, it was too late. The eyes of both Lelouch and Shirley were now ringed with red, signaling that they were under the power of Rolo's geass, and thus frozen in time. Lelouch's hand was partially outstretched in a stopping motion. Without breaking his stride, Rolo moved around Lelouch, reached for Shirley's gun…and all of a sudden ran face first into Lelouch's now completely outstretched palm.

It came as such a surprise and with such force that Rolo fell backward with a palm-shaped red mark burning on his forehead. Lelouch was just as stunned as he was, but only for a moment. When he realized what had happened, he turned to his left and faced the shadows, calling out into apparent nothingness.

"Good work, Jeremiah." To this, Jeremiah simply nodded and closed off his Geass canceller as he stepped out of the shadows.

"Big brother, what are you doing?! She's trying to kill you!" At that, Lelouch laughed hysterically, or at least he would have had the situation not been so serious. Instead, he simply kneeled down to Rolo's level, smiled, and assumed one of the many masks he wore: that of a nurturing older brother.

"Rolo, what have I told you about thinking like that? People don't take killing so lightly, Rolo. Least of all Shirley. Think logically for a second; you know Shirley. You've been friends with her for over a year. Now does she seem like the kind of person to emotionlessly kill the only person she loves?" Inwardly conflicted, Rolo began to see his point, but still decided to make an argument. "But she has a gun!" Again, Lelouch simply smiled. "Rolo, I've told you before that not everything is always as it seems. She has a gun because she wants to help us. My death is the very thing she is trying to prevent."

Rolo was still confused, but he also feared that he had angered his beloved older brother, and so decided to move on. "I'm sorry big brother. I know I promised you that I would stop thinking so directly." Continuing his act, Lelouch leaned forward and embraced Rolo in a brotherly hug. "It's all right. We'll keep working on it. Together." Behind Rolo's back, he wore a devilish evil smile. Another battle won. The pieces remained his. When they separated, he resumed his role as a leader. "You and Jeremiah rendezvous with Sayoko and go back to Ashford. I'll escort Shirley out of here. We'll meet in the OSI room in an hour."

"Right." Said Rolo and Jeremiah in unison. They departed, heading towards the roof of the mall where a helicopter awaited them. Lelouch and Shirley were alone once more. However, that did not make him feel any better. He had almost lost control of Rolo. Had Jeremiah not acted when he did, Shirley would have died. Though his expression remained the same externally, he was terrified, inwardly. If this was how distressed he was after Shirley's life was merely in danger, he couldn't – and didn't want to – imagine how he would have reacted if she had ended up dead. If he allowed her to join him, her life would be in danger all the time. He was beginning to question whether it was a good idea not to erase her memories. There was still time to do so. However, her voice brought him back to reality.

"Lulu…"

He silenced her by seizing her with the kiss they had been denied. He couldn't lie to himself any longer; he longed for those lips just as much as she did for his. His decision was made: the pain of denying his love for her a second time was greater than loving her and losing her. In his mind, he recalled a quote he had once heard in literature class, when he was awake for a rare moment. _" 'Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." _He was relatively certain that it didn't quite match the situation, but it came to mind nonetheless. When they separated he gazed into her deep, penetrating green eyes, as if trying to telepathically convey to her the decision he had just made. She seemed to understand.

"Shirley, are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Then let's go home." He clasped an arm behind her back and led her towards an exit. "We have a lot to talk about when we get back."

* * *

Lelouch collapsed onto the couch in his private quarters on board the Ikaruga and haphazardly tossed his mask to the floor. Though he was still firmly on the road to ultimate victory, he had never felt so defeated in his life. It seemed that all his loved were dropping like flies. He briefly glanced sidelong at C.C., who was cowering inside a closet. First she had lost her memory, essentially killing the woman he knew before. Now Nunnally was presumed dead. That left Shirley as his only remaining inspiration for fighting. But with all those most dear to him falling one after another, he was now terrified of what the future may hold in store for her. However, he didn't have the energy to express that fear, or the immense sadness welling up inside him as he reminisced about all those he had lost. He was exhausted to the point where all he could do was sit lifelessly and silently mourn in his mind.

There was a knock on the door. "Lulu! It's me, can I come in?" When he didn't respond Shirley entered anyway. She knew the last few days had been hard on him, but she didn't know the specifics, as he made sure to keep most of his horrid activities secret from her. Regardless, she wanted to see if there was anything she could do for him. However, for reasons unknown, C.C. chose that exact moment to speak up. "Master, take off your clothes. If it's a spot you can't reach, I can rub it for you."

A mixed look of horror, confusion, and finally anger played across her face at the sound of that. "Lulu…what the _HELL_ have you two been doing in here?!" She said, grabbing his collar as she did so. However, his expression remained unchanged as he gazed back into her blazing, angry eyes and explained the situation. "It's not what you think. C.C. … lost her memory. She's reverted back to a poor slave girl." Shirley's eyes softened, somewhat believing him, but she still held him. He looked downward before reluctantly adding "and it's my fault."

She now fully understood the emotional traumas he had to face as Zero. She was stunned, refusing to believe anyone could remain sane – let alone as genius as her darling Lulu – after enduring such pain for so long. She let go of his collar, kneeled down and embraced him in a consoling hug, "Oh Lulu. I understand now. I'm here for you." Lelouch didn't respond. He simply held her closer, shaking slightly with each sob he unleashed on her shoulder. He knew then that he had made the right decision when he had chosen not to erase her memories. At that moment, all he wanted was the comforting warmth and closeness of her embrace.

Similarly, Shirley felt grateful that he had decided to keep her around. Though he kept her far away from any sort of combat, didn't allow her to associate much with the other members of the Black Knights, or give her any real duties, she knew that at that moment, she had the most important job on the ship.

* * *

Lelouch strode into the waiting room with an air of elegance and authority. Inside the room there were a few couches and a table, as well as a door leading to the next room, where hundreds of his siblings awaited the appearance of the emperor. What they didn't know, however, was that Charles Zi Brittania, whom they expected, would not be the one to appear. Instead, Lelouch planned to shock them all – first with the revelation that he was still alive, and next with his announcement that he would be taking the throne for himself. He was nearing the culmination of all he had worked for, despite the immense setbacks of the past few weeks; the betrayal of the Black Knights not the least of which. Turning his attention back to the present, he saw that Shirley was waiting for him. Their eyes met and they both smiled, sharing the same, victorious thoughts. She got up from the couch and seized him in a kiss.

"I'm so glad everything worked out for you Lulu."

"Yes. There is still much to do before everything comes together, but after today, my ultimate victory is practically assured." At that, she giggled. She had always loved the way he mused strategically, and she had heard plenty since she had joined with him. Watching him plan and execute his strategies had made him all the more attractive to her, and gave her a sense of confidence she had never before felt in another person. Still, one thing perplexed her.

"If you don't mind me asking, how exactly are you going to convince them that you have a right to the throne? Won't the next person in the line of succession take it? Even if you defeated the emperor, you're still only a commoner." Lelouch looked at her blankly, blinking several times. He thought it would have been obvious to her by now, especially since her memories had returned. Since she remembered that Nunnally was his sister and all of Area 11 now knew she was a princess, Shirley should have been able to put two and two together. Perhaps she was merely too shy to have done so, or thought ridiculous to believe that her boyfriend was royalty.

"Shirley, haven't you figured it out by now?" She shook her head slowly, not comprehending. However, he was not annoyed. On the contrary, he found her innocent ignorance amusing; it was a perfect match for his limitless genius. Knowing what he told her next would very possibly cause her to faint, he broke their embrace and motioned for her to sit on the couch with him.

"Shirley, I haven't told anyone this in over 8 years. My name isn't Lelouch Lamperouge." She peered at him, her eyes begging him to continue. "It's Lelouch Vi Britannia." Her eyes widened. She seemed to go somewhat limp. Lelouch was glad he had seated her first. She didn't seem to be in touch with reality at the moment.

"Lelouch! It's time!" called Suzaku from behind the closed door. He turned and kissed her on the cheek. "I have to go now, but I'll be back soon. Sorry I've had to keep this from you for so long. If you want, we can talk about it later." She didn't respond, and still just sat there. Motionless. Wide-eyed. He judged that a little alone time may do her some good, so he took his leave and began his debut. Shirley was alone.

_It all makes sense now. His perfect posture and stride; his sophisticated speech; the way exudes authority; that regal air about him. He was a prince the whole time. All those times we were alone together and I called him my prince…I never imagined I was speaking so literally._

She blushed at the memory, bringing her out of the stunned haze she was in. Part of her believed she should have been angry at or felt betrayed by Lelouch's revelation that he had been lying to her longer than she thought. Yet, she couldn't shake a feeling of being overwhelmingly proud for him. She felt as though he had gained his position of royalty through his own efforts, rather than his birth. Perhaps it was simply because she had been so absolutely amazed by the miracles he had performed over the course of the last few months. In truth, she wasn't entirely sure what to believe. All she knew was that she had fallen deeply in love with Lelouch Lamperouge, but now she outright lusted over Lelouch Vi Britannia.

* * *

Lelouch sighed as he ascended the stairs to his royal chamber. He had just met with Suzaku − who, unbeknownst to the rest of the world, was alive and well – to discuss the final phase of the Zero Requiem. Though Lelouch was well prepared for it, and had been for a long time, that did not ease the pain of having to leave Shirley, Nunnally, Suzaku, and all those he held dear to him. However, he steeled himself by acknowledging the fact that going through with the plan would mean a better world for all of them. But that was all for tomorrow. He returned his attention to the present when he saw Shirley waiting for him in his room. Time and time again throughout his quest, she had always been wherever and whenever he needed her most, and words could not describe how grateful he was for that. Unfortunately, it would also make what he had to do next incredibly difficult. Due to his recent acquisition of world domination, his imperial duties had increased exponentially. As a result, he and Shirley had not been together for several days now.

"I'm so proud of you Lulu," she said as their lips neared each other. But as they kissed, she sensed that something was on his mind; he was more distant than usual. Helping him deal with such situations had been her primary duty in the past, so she was well prepared to console him once more. "What's wrong?" He looked away from her, saddened. The time had come to break the news to her.

"Shirley…I'm not quite sure how to say this. After the parade tomorrow, we won't be able to see each other again. Ever." The look that came over her face was akin to a person who had just been stabbed. That sent a stabbing pain through Lelouch as well.

"Lulu…are you breaking up with me?" she asked, beginning to tear up.

"Not exactly." He sighed and told her what he and Suzaku had planned. He relayed to her how the hate of the world was now directed firmly at him and how his death would break the cycle of hatred, allowing the world to move forward into the future. As he expected, that didn't make her feel any better. She fell forward and wept heavily into his chest, begging him not to leave. It wasn't long before he felt a damp spot on his skin through the fabric.

_Guess I won't be wearing these robes tomorrow._ He thought with a mirthless smile.

She held him tightly, as if believing she could anchor him to the world and prevent his death that way. The least he could do was to make her feel somewhat confident in this silly notion by squeezing back. They remained in that position for awhile. How long exactly, neither of them knew or cared. She continued to sob uncontrollably while he lovingly and consolingly stroked her hair. When the flow of tears began to stem, Lelouch moved back enough to look into her shaking eyes, but kept her in his arms. He knew she wanted to stay there forever. When he had her attention, he spoke once more.

"However, that's not how I want to say farewell to you tonight." Her eyes stilled, visually compelling him to continue.

"Shirley, this isn't my victory, it's yours. I would have lost my mind months ago had you not been by my side supporting me every step of the way. I was terrified to let you join me, but now I see it was the most important decision I've made. And you never once complained. That you voluntarily and unconditionally bore such emotional trauma simply out of love for me is nothing short of an astounding amount of kindness. You're the only person I've ever met who is that kind. And that's the type of world I want to create Shirley: one where the type of kindness and love you have shown me is not out of the ordinary."

"Oh Lulu…" she said, his poetic words having made her feel a sudden tingle between her legs. "I love you." They kissed again, much more passionately this time; their tongues playing a game of tag. They wanted to make the most of their last moments together.

She reached up, grabbed his crown, and tossed it behind her like a frisbee. Still firmly embracing each other, they awkwardly shuffled their way towards the royal bed, albeit with some difficulty due to a combination of the darkness of the room and their refusal to end their embrace. As they went, they began eagerly peeling clothes off of one another, as if they were stripping away their emotional burdens along with the mere fabric. To them, it seemed to work. Either that, or their love for each other was simply overpowering everything else in their minds. Articles of clothing dropped to the ground everywhere, like a concentrated, cottony squall. By the time they made it to the bed, they were both completely naked and gasping for air.

Lelouch leaned Shirley down on the bed, but stayed with her the whole way, still continuing their intimate embrace. As Shirley's back gently slid across the covers, Lelouch brought up a knee onto the mattress to follow her. He still held her as her head came to rest upon a pillow. Their lips finally separated for a brief moment – only long enough for Lelouch to search for his next target. Ultimately, he decided to start at her neck and work his way down from there. He knew he had made the right choice, as her breathing quickened excitedly as soon as he began. As he moved down to her collarbone and her lovely breasts, her breathing became mixed with a series of heated, pleasured squeaks. As he was doing all this, she returned the favor in kind by gently massaging his rapidly stiffening member, eliciting several satisfied groans from him in response.

He relished the velvety flesh and firm resistance of her breasts as he sensually sucked on one of her nipples. His fingers toyed with the other one. All of a sudden, his cheeks reddened hotly as he recalled, and agreed with, a comment Milly had once made about Shirley. _"You're a 10. You've been filling out in all the right places, from what I've seen in the girl's bathroom anyway."_ Lelouch truly was taken aback by the stunning perfection of her body. Ever the critic, he was constantly observing things, searching for flaws or weaknesses to exploit. Yet with Shirley, he couldn't find a single imperfection; truly unlike anything or anyone else he had ever encountered. The notion was quite arousing, especially combined with Shirley's now more eager massaging action. He decided it was time to heat things up some more.

Descending ever lower, he smothered her thighs with a cascade of kisses, again finding an arousing lack of imperfection. As he moved closer and closer to her already swollen and glistening arousal, she whimpered with anticipation. He gazed at her reactions to his loving touch, and when he surmised that she could stand it no more, he spread her lips and continued his kissing campaign on the warm, wet insides of her sex. She made further attempts to stifle herself, as she let loose a heated, gratifying wail. Lelouch happily sucked up her juices as her hips gyrated against his mouth. She tasted like nothing he had ever imagined before. The only thing he could compare it to was victory – their collective victory over the world of lies they had been trapped in during their encounter in the mall. As a prince and then an emperor, he had experienced the most delicious and exquisite delicacies in the world, yet none of them even came close to the taste of Shirley's arousal.

It wasn't long before he could no longer take the anticipation either. After one long, final slurp, he moved back up and peered deep into Shirley's eyes. The look on her face told him that she was lost deep in his calculative, violate gaze as well. He broke then tension with a kiss, and then leaned down farther, next to her ear. "Are you ready?" She responded by taking a hold of his throbbing hardness towards her entrance and guiding him in. The moment he started, they were both immediately lost in bliss. Their sense of awareness was reduced to the point where all they could perceive was each other. Lelouch ran a hand up and down her back. Her skin was smooth to the touch, yet firm beneath the surface; a fact that not only pleased Lelouch, but was made possible by her avid devotion to the swim club. Every inch of her being was simply intoxicating to him. She exuded a pleasant scent that smelled like a combination of lime and orange. Or, perhaps that was simply his brain inventing a smell to go along with the stunning combination of her long orange hair and deep green eyes. Either way, he didn't care. He loved it. With his other hand, he cupped a cheek of her firm, perfectly defined buttocks. The stirring in his loins became greater and greater with every bit of her body that he explored.

Shirley was completely, but pleasantly, surprised. Though she had been madly in love with her darling Lulu for quite some time, she had always theorized that he would be somewhat of an amateur when it came to romance. Yet here he was showing her the time of her life. He displayed skill and mastery well beyond his years in the art of pleasing a woman. She thought it rather amusing when he had asked her if she was ready. He had done a _very_ thorough job of making sure such was the case, though she doubted even he knew how successful he was. Every movement he made brought waves of ecstasy rippling through her, taking complete control of her body. It completely overpowered her and took control of her movements; digging her nails into his back. In short, it was better than anything she had imagined, and she had done plenty of imagining even when she only knew Lelouch Lamperouge. Now, she was so overtaken by pleasure, she felt as though all three of his personalities were making love to her. She half expected to open her eyes and see three Lulus on top of her. Another wave of ecstasy raced through her, making her temporarily incapable of thought once more. "Oh Lulu…"

Lelouch was on the verge of release, and he knew he wouldn't last much longer. However, this was partly due to the fact that he could tell Shirley was just as close as he was. Her desperate, pleasure-choked cries came with more and more frequency; her hips gyrated against his with ever building speed; her walls contracted and writhed about his member harder and harder. He could feel it approaching. "Shirley…I love you." He somewhat doubted that she heard him, for at that moment, their mutual pleasure culminated in one primal, sweaty moan. At the same time, they both tightened their grips on each other. His essence spewed forth inside of her, and her writhing walls squeezed him for every last drop. Everything remaining in their minds vanished as they were overtaken by the commanding, overpowering pleasure of their mutual orgasm. It remained that way for several minutes after they finally stilled and simply held each other in the embrace they had shared all night.

When they regained their senses, Lelouch turned over and laid back on the pillow. Shirley rested her head on his bare chest. They were now overtaken by a new sensation: satisfied exhaustion. Their eyes closed. Shirley finally broke the silence. "Thank you Lulu…you've made my wish come true," she said, smiling. "Yes…" he replied, both of them now barely clinging to consciousness, "And tomorrow, I'll do the same for the entire world." With that, they both finally succumbed to their contented exhaustion and fell asleep.

…

Shirley stirred, beginning to wake up. Remnants of the previous night's bliss were still tingling inside her. She kept her eyes shut as she smiled and extended an arm to reach forward. "Lulu…" However, she gasped sharply as her eyes shot open and beheld the nothingness at which she now groped. She sat up abruptly, clutching the covers to her chest, and peered around the room. Lelouch's clothes were gone, hers were neatly folded and sitting on a chair beside the bed. The room was totally devoid of any other life. He had already marched to his own death. He was gone forever.

* * *

It had been three weeks since the demon, Emperor Lelouch Vi Britannia, had been assassinated for the entire world to see. After which, Shirley had returned home, shut herself in her room, and did not come out. The tears had yet to cease falling. She was still there, sitting on her bed, dressed in her Ashford uniform. But she couldn't bring herself to return to school, as it reminded her too much of the only man she would ever love; the one man who no one could be allowed to love without serious consequence. She was just now beginning to understand that, and why he had tried to push her away as a result. She hated herself for being foolish enough to love him, knowing deep down that it would only end in anguish. Yet at the same time, he couldn't have lived through his ordeal without her help. He had said it himself. That just made her feel worse. As she had so many times over the course of the previous two years, she found herself not knowing what to believe.

In her mind, she only had one goal in life at the present: to weep and mourn until it was no longer physically possible to do so. However, as she had been going steadily for a solid three weeks now, she was unsure if that point would ever come, which made her feel even more miserable. Her eyes burned from the tears and her throat stung from the sobs, but neither was able to distract her from the inhuman agony radiating from her heart. Just then, she heard a knock behind her, followed by the creak of an opening door. Light from the hallway outside partially illuminated her dark room. Assuming it was her mother, whom she had already told several times to leave her alone, Shirley lashed out angrily.

"Go away! I told you I just want to be left alone!"

She resumed her weeping, but the intruder did not leave, and answered her only with silence. Angered once more, she turned her head slightly and gasped sharply at what she saw.

"…I've missed you…Shirley."


	2. Chapter 2

**Important A/N (Please Read!): Well, I had initially intended to simply let this story stand as it was: a simple oneshot. Therefore, I was somewhat surprised when I was inundated with requests to continue the story, even months after I had published it. I would've liked to keep it as is, but, being the kind of guy who gives the people what they want, I decided to spend some time on a short little addition. So, I am proud to present to you the reader-requested addition to "Cruel Destiny." It's certainly far different from the first chapter, but I have a feeling you'll all enjoy it quite thoroughly. As always, rate, review, and enjoy!**

* * *

"Shirley? It's me…" Ms. Fenette called softly from beyond the door. The tormented wails of agony that had emanated from Shirley's room over the past several weeks had finally ceased, so she believed that she had an opportunity to console her daughter. Still, that didn't diminish the raw eeriness of the silence that now haunted her as she stood in front of the door to Shirley's bedroom. She pressed on anyway.

"I know you want to be left alone now, but I brought you some brownies. They're your favorite."

Again, she was answered only by silence. Now she began to grow concerned. Something must have happened, the transition from tortured screams to utter silence was simply too immediate. She didn't want to assume the worst, but some disturbing images entered her mind nonetheless. She had to make sure her daughter was alright. If her theories were wrong, then all she would have to deal with would be an angry teenager. But if she was right…

With one hand, she gently pushed open the door, while the other hand carefully balanced the tray of brownies. "Shirley…?"

The door slowly swung open to reveal Shirley's dark bedroom, an inch at a time. As light slowly began to fill the room, one fact became immediately apparent: it was totally devoid of any life. The window on the far side of the room was open; a gentle breeze tickled the curtains. Perplexed, her mother entered the room and noticed a small, folded slip of paper on Shirley's bed. With her free hand, she retrieved it and began reading. Several seconds later, a metallic clang rang out as the tray fell to the floor, breaking the suffocating silence of the house. Compared to the silence that preceded this noise, it could have been as loud as several tons of TNT igniting spontaneously. Yet even this sound was nothing more than insignificant compared to the horrified wail of Shirley's mother.

* * *

"_In other news, police have yet to find the body of local teenager, Shirley Fenette, who is believed to have killed herself after a suicide note was found in her home last week. The search has been going on since last Tuesday, when her mother discovered the note in the teen's bedroom. As of yet, it is unclear whether the girl is in fact dead. Police investigators, however, remain skeptical."_

Shirley turned off the TV, then carelessly flung aside the remote. Smiling victoriously, she turned to face the figure lying next to her on the bed, visually pestering him for some sort of reaction.

"It's been said that imitation is the purest form of flattery. If that's true, then I guess you really do love me as much as you say," said Lelouch.

Raising an eyebrow, she responded: "How do you mean?"

He simply laughed. "Faking your death? That's clearly an homage to yours truly. I've done the same at least three times since I was ten years old! Still, I must admit that even I probably couldn't have done it better, and this was only your first time," he said with a sly grin.

She smirked at this, understanding his logic. "I suppose you're right, Lulu."

Several seconds of peaceful silence transpired, each unsure of what to say next. Finally, Shirley took the initiative, rolling over on top of him and seizing him in a passionate kiss, which he promptly returned just as eagerly.

"I missed you," she said in between pleasured gasps.

"I missed you too, Shirley," he responded, unable to keep the lustful desire out of his voice. She kissed him again. They began blissfully rolling across the massive bed in each other's arms, and soon they were tearing ravenously at each other's clothes.

Too long had they been separated from each other, especially after their last night together had been so euphorically perfect. He melted into her embrace, the warmth of which felt amazingly satisfying, having only recently returned from the icy grip of death. The sensation was equally soothing for her, replenishing instantly the emotional loss she had suffered over her month-long period of mourning. More importantly, however, they were finally free of the world which had imprisoned them for so long. No longer were they trapped by circumstances, as they were when they had first submitted to their love for each other. No longer were they doomed to be separated by fate, as they had been on the last night they spent together. Finally, they were free, and the intense cries of bliss that rang out as they began their intimate reunion echoed that very reality.

--- --- ---

Shirley rested her head contentedly on Lelouch's shoulder as they clung tightly to each other, still quivering slightly in the aftermath of their intense lovemaking. They both panted heavily, for their breath had yet to return to them. The fingers of her right hand lazily traced along the contours of his chest, occasionally brushing the scar over his heart where Suzaku had stabbed him. One of his hands gently stroked her long, flowing hair. The other lovingly cradled her buttocks beneath the covers. Coincidentally enough, it was the same hand he had endeavored to hide from her since his return from the dead, for it bore the key to his survival. On that hand was etched the code, which he had inadvertently received from his father. With it came the curse of an eternal life span. As a result, he knew he would eventually have to watch his beloved Shirley die, and then be cursed to live for the rest of time with that experience. However, he did not want to worry her, which was why he kept the palm of his hand far away from her ever-curious eyes. He would certainly have to tell her eventually, but for now, the present moment was all that mattered to him.

Freeing him from his foreboding, trancelike train of thought, Shirley kissed him briefly on the neck before returning to her spot on his shoulder. She yawned and closed her eyes, exhausted, but did not fall asleep right away.

"I love you, Lulu." He kissed her on the forehead. "I love you too." She smiled contently and shifted closer into his loving embrace.

"Both of you," he added after several seconds, indicating her stomach. As he spoke, he playfully tickled her with one finger, which elicited a joyful giggle from her in return. She hugged him even closer, and now he too began to succumb to his contented exhaustion. He closed his eyes, feeling more at peace than he had ever been in his life. He focused only on the wonderfully relaxing warmth of the bare curves of her flesh pressed firmly against his. Vaguely, he thought he could feel the distant, pulsating warmth of her sex teasing his thigh. For once, he had nothing to worry about, and the only things on his mind were Shirley and their new future together, far separated from the world that had robbed so much from them. No longer did he have to worry about warfare or politics; family feuds or revenge; coup de tats or schoolwork. Not even the demonic power of Geass could tear him from this moment, from the new life he had been born into.

"You'd better still be here this time when I wake up."

He simply grinned at this. For once in his life, he could finally commit fully to something he loved.

* * *

** I admit that I wasn't expecting to write this addition, but that certainly doesn't mean I didn't enjoy doing so. That being said, feel free to voice any similar opinions you may have about my other works. Until then, thanks for reading and I'll see you all again soon with my next story. **


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